EU and Israel signs civil aviation
agreement

Today, the European Community and the Government of
Israel signed an aviation agreement which will remove nationality restrictions
in the bilateral air services agreements between EU Member States and Israel.
This agreement will allow any EU airline to operate flights between any EU
Member state and Israel where a bilateral agreement with Israel exists and
traffic rights are available. In parallel, the EU and Israel started today
negotiations on a comprehensive aviation agreement.

"The agreement signed today is good news for Israeli and European airlines
and passengers, as it remove the legal uncertainty from the bilateral air
services agreements” declared Vice-President Antonio Tajani.

This so-called "horizontal" aviation agreement does not replace the bilateral
agreements in place between the Israel and 27 EU Member States, but brings these
in line with European law.

Horizontal agreements have been negotiated with 38 countries worldwide.
Nearly 800 bilateral air services agreements have already been modified by the
joint efforts of the European Commission and Member States to replace
nationality rules with the principle of EU airline designation.

The agreement is an important step towards further strengthening the
EU-Israel aviation relations and will encourage traffic between the EU and
Israel.

Air transport is crucial for the relations between the EU and Israel, linking
people, cultures and businesses.

The parties also started negotiations on a comprehensive aviation agreement
with a view to establishing a Common Aviation Area between the EU and Israel.
This aviation agreement will gradually open up the air transport market and
provide for regulatory co-operation in the fields of aviation safety, security,
air traffic management, technology, research and industrial co-operation,
consumer and environmental protection and competition.

Vice-President Tajani also met with the Israeli Minister for Transport, Shaul
Mofaz in the margins of the Energy and Transport Council where they discussed
aviation issues of common interest.